Relief valve and pressure indicating means for pressure cookers



Aug. 25, 1953 W. A. WELDEN 2,649,775

, RELIEF VALVE AND PRESSURE INDICATING MEANS FOR PRESSURE COOKERS Original Filed June l5, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet l EAV/k,

Aug. z5, 1953 ELDEN ,2,649,775r

W. A. W RELIEF VALVE AND PRESSURE INDICATING MEANS FOR PRESSURE COOKERS Original Filed June l5. 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 12v/venan' P Wiliam C/wezden A. WELDEN RELIEF VALVE AND PRESSURE INDICATING MEANS FOR PRESSURE COOKER'S 1946 Aug. 25, 1953 Original Filed June l5 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 'B7/vena :n: WI/ZZ am :11T/Velden vof the relief valve and turbine Aaccording to Figs. 1 and y2;

Patented Aug. 25, 1953 RELIEF VALVE AND PRESSUREJIVNDICATING MEANS Foltz-'ennesima -oooKERs 'william A Waremme @am asignar@ opper `ad Brass @maratea-lame,

N. Y., acorg'ration 0f Maryland Original application June 15, 1946, 'Serial No.

671043,. 110W -Batent No. 2,'614572'3, dated Octo- 'berll 1.352..-v Divided and this application A11.- gust ,21, 1947, Serial No. 769,788

7 Claims. 1

-Myinvention relates to a relief valve and pressure indicating means vfor pressure cookers, the present application being a division of my 'copending application Serial'Number 677,943, filed June 15, 17946, now Patent No. 2,614,723.

The invention has among its objects a pressure vcooker or the like with an 'improved cover.

`Among other objects 'of the vinvention lis an im'- vproved relief valve for a pressure cooker or the like, and improved means for indicating when a desired steam pressure in a cooker or the like has been reached. The above and other objects of the invention, however, will be best 'understood from the following description when read in the light of the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment of the invention selected for illustrative purposes, the scope of the invention being more particularly pointed 'out in the appended claims.

,-In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a pressure cooker on the line I-l of Fig. 3, with parts in elevation;

Fig. 1A isa fragmentary section of the pressure cooker cover and gasket on the line l-l of Fig. 3, corresponding to the portion of the cover and gasket at the upper left hand side of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale; A

i Fig. 1B is a fragmentary section on the line I--I of Fig. 3, corresponding to the upper left hand corner of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 13;

Fig. 3 is a plan of the pressure vcooker accordingfto Fig. 1;

Figs. 4 and 5 arexfragmentary sections on the lines 4-4 and '5-5 of Fig. 3 with the cover omitted;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the cooker according to Figs. l and 3 with the cover omitted;

Fig.r7 is a section on the line 'I- o'f Fig. 6;

Fig. 8' is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a plan View, on an enlarged scale, rotor assembly Fig. 10 is a development of a section, on the line lll-I of Fig. y9, of the turbine rotor;

Fig. 11 is asection, corresponding to Fig. l, illustrating a step in the operation of placing the cover of the pressure cooker on the :container portion thereof;

Fig. 12 is a section onthe line |2-I2 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 13 is a bottom view, on an enlarged scale, `of the relief valve andV turbine rotor assembly according to Figs. 1, 2, y9 and 10.

Referring to the drawings, the pressure cooker illustrated comprises a container having a bottom wall i, and, integral with said wall, cylindrical 'side walls 3. The container is preferably formed of sheet metal, such as sheet stainless steel, by a 'deep drawing operation. As shown, the side walls 3 adjacent the brim of the container are formed to present an upwardly and outwardly flaring frust'o-conical portion 5.

The cover l, which also preferably is pressed vfrom sheet metal, is provided with la downwardly and inwardly tapered annular edge flange 9 adapted to be rotatably received 'by the annular flared portion 5 of the container. As shown, the cover adjacent its flange '9 is formed with a kslightly depressed annular portion indicated at H, this portion losing connected to the flange by a curved'annular corner portion I3. 'For purposes hereinafter described these two ared portions are so designed that, when the cover is in place on the container coaxially thereof, there is no lateral surface to surface contact between Ythose portions. To this end, and as best illusvtrated inFig. 1B, a slight lateral clearance is provided between the upper portion of the flange and the adjacent surface of the flared portion 5` of the container, the 'flange to compensate for any possible spring or bending thereof preferably having a slightly greater taper than the portion 5 so that a somewhat wider clearance is provided between .the flared portions adjacent the lower edge of the flange.

` As shown, the cover carries a gasket `l5 in the form of a vcontinuous ring, or split ring with abutting ends, of yieldable compressible material, for example, vulcanized natural or synthetic rubber, suitably plasticized Du Pont nylon, or the like. The gasket illustrated is of wedge-shaped cross-section, its upper-edge or base and its outer `annular surface being shaped to fit in the recess between interior sides kof Vthe cover body, cover edge flange S and rounded corner I 3, when sprung yinto orotherwise inserted in said recess. The

gasket extends well below the lower edge of the Vlange 9 to provide a portion l1 (hereinafter sometimes termed the apex portion of the gasket) whichkextends radially outward vbeyond thevouter surface of said flange Vso as to adapt the gasket rotatablyV to yseat on the lower part ,of the -interior surface kof the 4flaring annular portion .'.i'ouf the `ycontainer. It will be observed that the construction described is such that the lgasket is removably secured to the cover, and that the pressure in vthe cooker is operative to force the bodyof the gasket against the adjacent surfaces of the cover, and the apex portion of the gasket against the portion 5 of the container, so as to seal the joint between the cover and the container. Also it will be observed that the construction is such as to permit the gasket to yield and relieve any vacuum tended to be created in the cooker if the contents of the latter are allowed to cool while the cover is in position and the pressure relief valve, hereinafter described, is not opened by the operator. Such vacuum, it will be understood, if permitted to be formed would cause explosion of vegetables, such as peas, having thin impervious skins.

Because of the clearance between the cover flange 9 and the flared portion '5 of the container, and the apex portion Il of the yieldable compressible gasket projecting radially outward beyond the outer surface of the flange, the weight of the cover and parts carried by it causes the apex portion of the gasket about its entire periphery firmly to seat on the portion 5 when the cover is initially placed on the container. This permits steam pressure to build up in the cooker when its contents are heated, which otherwise would not occur if the gasket were not initially firmly seated about its entire periphery on the container portion 5. Were the parts so designed that the flange 9 would seat on the portion 5 of the container when the cover is initially applied, the weight of the cover would be taken off the gasket with reliance only on the radial outward resiliency of the apex portion of the gasket to cause seating of the latter on the portion 5, and, under such conditions, no assurance could be had that the gasket would seat on said portion about its entire periphery. Further, it is diflicult to make the cover flange and flared portion 5 of the container truly circular, or to maintain them as such when the cooker is put into use, with the result that if the lower portion of the gasket did not project radially beyond the outer surface of the cover flange, to prevent surface to surface contact of that ange with the container portion 5, no assurance could be had that the metal to metal contact would continuously extend about the entire periphery of the flange, and therefore no assurance that when the cover is initially applied the gasket about its entire periphery would continuously -contact with the container.

As illustrated, the container at its brim is provided with an inwardly projecting lip i9, which lip extends for about 180 of the angular extent of the flared portion 5 of the container, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. This lip is so shaped as to t over and contact with the edge portion of the cover when the interior of the cooker is under pressure. Diametrically opposite the lip i9 the container at its brim is provided with an outwardly projecting lip 2l, the outer portion of which lip is downturned, as indicated at 23, so that the lip in cross-section is hook-shaped as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 1l. The outwardly projecting lip 2l, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 6, extends for a much less angular extent of the cylindrical walls of the container than does the inwardly projecting lip I9.

As shown, the cover 'l at its upper side'carries a plate 25 preferably spot welded thereto, the plate conforming to the upper surface of the body of the cover and having a portion 21 which projects outward beyond the edge flange 9 of the cover. At the outer end of the portion 21 the plate 25 is bent downward, as indicated at 29, this downturned portion at its lower edge being bent upward and inward to form a hook 3l 4 adapted to engage with the downturned portion 23 of the lip 2|.

The cover of the cooker may be placed on and secured to the container by tilting the cover and inserting ya portion of its edge beneath the lip I9, as shown in Fig. 1l, whereupon the cover may be rotated relative to the container to bring the hook 3l on the cover wholly between adjacent ends of the lips I9 and 2l on the container, and, as part of the same movement, be brought into a horizontal position to cause the apex portion l1 of the gasket l5 to seat on the inner surface of the portion 5 of the container. The cover so positioned may then be axially rotated on the container to cause the hook 3l on the cover to move under the lip 2l. The cover may be removed, by movements the reverse of those described when the pressure in the cooker is relieved. Preferably, a suitable stop is provided for limiting the rotative movement of the cover on the container for engaging the hook 3l with the lip 2l, 23. As shown, such a stop is formed by providing one end of the lower edge of the downturned portion 23 of the lip 2l with an inturned projection 32 (Figs. 6, 7 and 8), which projection is so positioned as to lie in the path of movement of the hook 3i when the applied cover is rotated to cause said hook to move under the lip.

As best shown in Figs. l and 1B, the parts preferably are so designed as to present, when the cover is initially applied, a slight clearance between the cover and the container lip i9, and approximately the same degree of clearance between the lower edge of the container lip 23 and 'the facing surface of the hook 3l. As the pressure builds up the cover rises relative to the container to take up these clearances, the gasket moving upward with the cover while maintaining the seal. Providing these clearances insures that the cover, when initially applied to the container, will not be forced toward the latter at localized points by faulty engagement of the lip i5 with the cover, or faulty engagement of the lip 23 with the hook 3i, either of which, if it occurred, might cause the gasket to fail to seat continuously about its entire periphery on the container when the cover is initially applied. Such faulty engagement of the parts would be liable to occur, if the mentioned clearances were not provided, because of discrepancies in manufacture, or bending or denting of the parts when in use.

For rotating the cover the same is conveniently provided with a handle 33 attached to the plate 25. As shown, the plate is struck up to form an upwardly extending projection or lug 55 inclined toward the edge of the cover, the handle being provided on its side adjacent the plate 25 with a recess Il? receiving this projection, the projection fitting the opposed lateral walls 39 (Fig. 3) of the recess and its rear wall #il (Fig. l). As furtherV illustrated, the portion 2l of the plate 25 is perforated and countersunkas indicated at 43 (Figs. l and 12), for receiving the flat frusto-conical head i5 of a nut having a shank portion il received in and fitting a recess d5 in the adjacent side of the handle 53. Screwthreadedly received by this nut is asorew 48 extending through the handle from its .upper edge, so that the handle is secured to the portion 2l of the plate 25 as well as secured to the projection 35.

As shown, the container portion Vof the-cover is provided with a handle 5i having a metallic like Vmember.

I acrcate shank 53 provided'with "ears t55"'preferably spot welded to the side-wallspfthe container.

'The cover 'at its center portion- 'isishown as perforated and struck vup toorm downwardly cover -at thefva'lve lseat issuehwiith Arrelation @to "the downward' gravitational Jeffect -fof-st-he l"weight that the latter will "lift"wl ien-a predetermined pressure is Vestablished fin thecooker `say, for example, 1'=5 pounds lpressure per square flinch.

`As illustrated, the I'disk-like `weight is provided with downwardly-eonverging frustoeconical lateral wallstilin which'is formed a-cir'cumferential open lgroovell.k Receivedin this groove vis Vthearcuate portion '11| of vafbairl-llike member having the arms T5v integral withsaid :arcuate portion, the latter,-:as clearly/illustrated in! having a greater angular u'extentthan J86"- vso VAthat when -the arcuate `portionis yreceived in the groove `G9 the weightwill be secured toithelbail- Preferably, r4the bail-like :member is formed of a `beri't stiff Iwire for-=ma=king the arcuate portion -o'ffs'aid fm'ember :transversely resilient, so that said arcuate portionfwillzsnap into rthe `groove459when the under side of the weight is presented to said arcuate portion and pressed toward itfand will snap from the @groove when the 'weight is forced away, from it. The arms i3 of the bai1-like-member, as shown, ter- VVmina-te in outwardly benttrunnion portions 15 (Ffig. 3) which are receivedjin what operatively amounts -to spaced perforated ears f'orm'ed biamo the bent .portions "Il of 'the pla`t`e25, which latter lportions whenY assembled with the cover 7 :form openings between them ,and/the upper side of said ',cover. The arcuate portion TI `of the bail-like member has sufficient resiliency to .enable the Y arms to ,be pressed inwardly 'toward eachother far enough to insert `the "trunnion portions of the arms into `tlfieopenin'gs :beneath the portions l1 of the plate 25 prior \to.assembling the weight with the bail-like member. Preferably vthelarcu ate portion 'H of the bail-.likevmember fits the groove 69 of the weight' rather loosely so as to insure seating of thevalve 63 on the valve seat 6|, and to permit axial rotation of the valve so that given portions thereof will not always seat on the same given portions of the valve seat. It will be understood that different weights 65 may be substituted to cause the valve to open at different desired pressures.

As illustrated, carried by the weight 65 in closely adjacent relation to the ilat upper side 19 thereof is a flat disk-like rotor 8|, preferably formed of light weight material as, for example, molded Du Pont nylon. As shown (see Fig. 2), screw-threadedly received in the upper side of the weight is a screw 83 having the enlarged diameter portion 85 providing a shoulder 81 bearing against the upper surface of the weight. The rotor 8| is rotatably mounted on this enlarged diameter portion, and is retained thereon by the Afurther enlarged diameter head 89 of the l vmany cases isfalmost invisible.

thereto, the inner sides of those passages zbeing prolongations of the conical surface `of .said v valve.

vThesemassages,l jwhich are iiared outwardly and 4downwardly on *all sides, open on the `upper side T9 -of the weight through larcuate-'ports 93 #and open onthe `lower surface of the-weight l`through :arcuate `ports `95. :In -align- 4mentw'it-h the `:portsil the rotor 81| is Vformed with a seriesof through passages "Sl separated from eachother by parti-tions *Sie which, Aas 'clearly shown by lFigs. -9 and 10, are inclined in vsuch Away as tolform vanes for causing steam `jets which pass `'throughthe openings 9-'| to 'tend toispin the rotor.

'When the pressure in the -cooker reaches `a predetermine'd value as, -forexample l5 pounds the valve 63' will slightly opento permit escape of' steam from vthe cooker. This steam will discharge Athrough the opening vbetween 'the conical .surfaces 'of the valve and valve seat inthe vform of an inverted conical sheet and will be directed into the passages '9| Aof the weight. Because ofthe upwardly converging walls 'of 'these ,passages this steam will be 'discharged through the 'arcuateports Q3 at the upper side of theweightiin vthe form Aof jets which will impinge against the inclined vanes `9i? of 'the rotor' and set 'the latter in V`motion, `thus indicating 'to the operator 'that `the desired "predetermined pressure has 'been reached, which is otherwise diflicult to determine-'because the slight amount of steam escaping when the valveopens is superheated and discharges into 'the hot atmosphere above the"stove or cooker andthus in Because of the 'light weight ci the rotor and `the construction described the rotor 'spins instantly upon-the valve slightly opening. This Y*spinning Vindicates to the operator Vthat V'the gas Viiarne `or other source -of heat for the cooker' should be diminished Ato the extent 'that will just keep Vthe rotor spinning at 'a moderate speed if v'itis desired tol continue cooking at the predetermined pressure, or diminished to such -an extent that the rotor does not rspin at all k'-caseswherefit is desired to perform the cooking operation in such way that vthefood is yheated until -the predetermined pressure is reached and is then cooked'at a tem-per- 'ature somewhat less than ythat which Jcorre- As best shown in Figs. 2 and 13, the weight 4s-ponds to the predetermined pressure.

A"'Io avoid the possibility o1" `the creation -of a "dangerously high pressure in the cooker should the -Valve -controlled cover opening 59 become clogged with food, the cover may be provided with emergency pressure relief means. As shown, for this purpose the cover is formed with an opening IUI, into which opening is sprung a plug-like member formed of yieldable material, such as rubber, this member comprising a shank portion |03 received Iby the opening and, integrally carried by opposite ends of said shank portion, heads |05 adapted to bear against the upper and under surfaces of the cover. The inner head |05 is adapted to be forced against the under surface of the cover by the pressure of the steam in the -cooker so as normally to render the opening |0| steam tight, but upon the pressure reaching too high a value that head will shear off or collapse and the plug will be ejected from the opening.

It will be understood that within the scope of the appended claims wide deviations may be made from the form of the invention herein describedwithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A device for indicating the reaching of a predetermined pressure in a steam generato-r having a vent opening, which device comprises a turbine rotor, a movable weight on which said rotor is mounted, a passage in said weight for directing steam escaping from said vent opening to said rotor for operating the latter, said weight having a portion serving as a vent valve normally closing said vent opening and adapted to open against the gravitational eiort of said weight upon the reaching of such pressure whereby to admit steam to said passage.

2. A device for indicating the reaching of a predetermined pressure in a steam generator having a vent opening which comprises a movable weight having on its under side a part serving as a Vent valve normally closing said vent opening and adapted to open against the gravitational effort of said weight upon the reaching of such pressure, an exposed turbine rotor mounted on the upper side of said weight for rotation about a vertical axis, and passage means in said weight adapted to receive steam escaping from said vent opening upon the opening of said valve and direct 'such stream to said rotor for operating the latter.

3. A cover, or the top opening of a steam generator, having a vent opening, a weight carried by the cover above said vent opening and having a part on its under side serving as a valve for normally closing saidvent opening, an exposed turbine rotor carried by said weight, passage means formed in said weight for supplying steam to said rotor for operating it, said valve being adapted to open against the gravitational eiiort oi said weight upon the reaching of a predetermined pressure in the generator to which said cover is applied for permitting escape of steam from said generator through said vent opening, whereby to supply steam to said rotor.

4. A cover according to claim 3 in which the turbine rotor is of nat disk-like shape and is carried at the upper side of the weight in closely adjacent relation thereto for rotation about a vertical axis.

b. A cover according to claim 3 in which the weight is carried by an arm swingngly connected to the cover at one side of the vent opening therein, said weight and arm having cooperating portions forming a releasable snap connection between them operable into released and '8 engaged positions by forcible movement of the two away from and toward each other.

6. A cover, for the top opening of a steam generator, formed with a vent opening, a valve for controlling said'vent opening, a weight movably mounted at the upper side of said cover for controlling said valve, which weight has an under side extending over said vent opening in closely opposed relation to the upper side of said cover, an exposed turbine rotor on the upper side of said weight, said weight being formed with a passage opening into the space between the under side of said weight and upper side of said cover for leading steam escaping from said vent opening from said space to said rotor for operation of the'latter when said valve opens against the gravitational force of said weight.

'7. In a closure for a receptacle, said closure being formed with an opening defined by a valve seat, a valve for said seat including a valve seat engaging portion and a weighted portion overlying the seated portion and movable therewith, said weighted portion having converging side Walls, said side walls converging in the direction of the axis of said opening and being formed with oppositely spaced grooves, and a hinge for said valve including laterally spaced resilient arms for seating in said grooves, and spaced trunnions, said spaced trunnions being formed at the ends of said arms, and spaced perforated elements carried by said closure for receiving said trunnions.

WILLIAM A. WELDEN.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 169,510 Beckwith Nov. 2, 1875 566,997 McAuley Sept. 1, 1896 591,668 Johnson Oct. 12, 1897 1,044,234 Parre Nov. 12, 1912 1,508,696 Jacobs Sept. 16, 1924 1,553,940 Kangieser Sept. 15, 1925 2,200,903 Stephens May 14, 1940 2,308,320 Stephens Jan. 12, 1943 2,368,795 Wittenberg Feb. 6, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date '78,173 Austria Sept. 10, 1919 814,828 France Dec. 12, 1936 

